McClure, Michael

Michael McClure
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natal chart English style (Equal houses)
natal chart with Whole Sign houses

Name	McClure, Michael Gender: M
Birthname	Michael Thomas McClure
born on	20 October 1932 at 21:00 (= 9:00 PM )
Place	Marysville, Kansas, 39n50, 96w39
Timezone	CST h6w (is standard time)
Data source	Quoted BC/BR Rodden Rating AA Collector: Gauquelin
Astrology data	27°30' 09°22 Asc. 29°00'

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Michael McClure
photo: Onehandclapping, license gfdl

Biography

American poet, essayist and playwright who, along with Beat poet Allen Ginsberg and four others, performed their poetry in a famous public reading at the Six Gallery in San Francisco in October 1955.

Born in Marysville, Kansas, he grew up being shuttled back and forth between Marysville, Wichita and Seattle, Washington due to his parents’ divorce and subsequent remarriages. The young McClure was fascinated by nature, and those around him expected him to pursue this interest as a career. As an adolescent, he read the classics as well as a younger generation of writers like Artaud and Schwitters, and enthused, he began writing poetry, later taking up painting in hopes of gaining further inspiration. In 1954, he moved to San Francisco with plans to attend the California School of Fine Arts; however, instead he became involved with a group of artists, writers and rock musicians. He enrolled in Robert Duncan’s poetry workshop at San Francisco State College.

The following year, he met Jack Kerouac who based the Pat McClear character in his book, "Big Sur," on McClure. Drawn into the emerging Beat movement, he became friends with Ginsberg; they had each had a vision of William Blake, and they spent much time discussing how different their respective visions had been. As with much of his subsequent work, McClure’s poem, "For the Death of 100 Whales," which he performed at Six Gallery, was a work inspired by his lifelong involvement with the ecology movement. His first book, "Passage," was published in 1956. The painter and photographer, Wallace Berman, introduced McClure to peyote, and in 1958, he wrote "Peyote Poem," describing his experience with the psychedelic drug.

His association with Ginsberg continued, and in 1967, they participated in the "Human Be-In" in Golden Gate Park. McClure wrote the original words on which the Janis Joplin song, "Oh Lord, Won’t You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz," was based. In the ’60s and ’70s, his plays, "The Beard" and "Josephine: The Mouse Singer" stirred up much controversy; the former won two awards but resulted in four major censorship trials. He began collaborating with Ray Manzarek, former keyboard player for the Doors, during the early 1990s, and they released a video, "Love Lion."

McClure was married twice and had a daughter. He died of stroke-related complications on 4 May 2020 in San Francisco at age 87.

Link to Wikipedia biography

Relationships

• associate relationship with Ginsberg, Allen (born 3 June 1926). Notes: Participants in Six Gallery reading

• associate relationship with Kerouac, Jack (born 12 March 1922)

• associate relationship with Lamantia, Philip (born 23 October 1927). Notes: Participants in Six Gallery reading

• associate relationship with Snyder, Gary (born 8 May 1930). Notes: Participants in Six Gallery reading

• friend relationship with Manzarek, Ray (born 12 February 1939)

• friend relationship with Morrison, Jim (born 8 December 1943)

• spouse relationship with McClure, Joanna (born 10 November 1930). Notes: 1954-19??

• role played of/by Getty, Balthazar (born 22 January 1975). Notes: 2012 film "Big Sur"

Events

• Family : Change residence 1954 (Moved to San Francisco)

• Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released October 1955 (Public reading at the Six Gallery)
  chart Placidus Equal_H.

• Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released 1956 (First book released)

• Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released 1958 ("Peyote Poem" released)

• Work : Published/ Exhibited/ Released 1967 (Participated in the Human Be-In)

• Death by Disease 4 May 2020 (Stroke, age 87)
  chart Placidus Equal_H.

Source Notes

Gauquelin Book of American Charts

Categories

• Diagnoses : Major Diseases : Stroke

• Diagnoses : Psychological : Abuse Drugs (Peyote)

• Family : Childhood : Parents divorced

• Family : Relationship : Number of Marriages (Two)

• Family : Parenting : Kids 1-3 (One daughter)

• Lifestyle : Financial : Gain - Grant, Scholarship, etc. (Guggenheim Fellowship, etc)

• Lifestyle : Home : Many moves (In youth)

• Personal : Death : Illness/ Disease (Stroke)

• Personal : Death : Long life more than 80 yrs (Age 87)

• Vocation : Entertain/Music : Song writer

• Vocation : Writers : Columnist/ journalist

• Vocation : Writers : Fiction (Essayist)

• Vocation : Writers : Playwright/ script (Playwright)

• Vocation : Writers : Poet

• Notable : Awards : Vocational award